This invention relates to golf clubs, and more specifically, to a new and improved construction for the head of a golf club of the type known as a "metal wood."
The use of "metal wood" type golf clubs has steadily increased in recent years. Typically, such golf clubs are used as a replacement for the more traditional wooden head type golf club, and are usually made from metal castings to have head shapes generally similar to that of the corresponding wooden head type club. Normally, the metal castings used for metal wood club heads have hollow interiors, and are formed using a "lost wax" or similar destructible core type casting technique to provide a single piece hollow shell head.
While metal wood golf clubs have met with substantial commercial success, several problems have resulted which make metal woods less than ideal. One problem is that the metal wood head tends to transmit undesirable impact caused vibration from the head to the shaft of the club. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that the metal shell forming the hollow head of conventional metal wood clubs is not capable of absorbing significant amounts of vibration caused in the head when a golf ball is hit. That is, when the hollow shell forming the metal wood head impacts a golf ball, harmonic waves are produced in the head as the head plastically deforms and then rebounds as a result of kinetic energy transfer. Since the metal wood head is hollow, the harmonic waves created are not significantly absorbed or dissipated in the club head itself, and may be transferred through the club shaft to the user. This has the undesirable effect of tending to produce discomfort and increased incidents of tendinitis.
Another problem that has been encountered with metal wood clubs of the prior art type is that the hollow heads are very sensitive to the position of ball strike on the club face. Unless the user strikes the ball directly in the center or "sweet spot" of the hollow club head, the impact forces will be unevenly distributed throughout the head, thereby changing the dynamic properties of the head and reducing its efficiency and effective distance of resultant ball travel. A further problem is that many users dislike the "ping" or "tink" type sounds produced when the hollow metal wood head strikes a ball and it has been found that hollow heads tend to be more easily damaged, particularly in the area of the club face, than conventional wooden heads.
As will become more apparent hereinafter, the present invention provides a new and improved construction for a metal wood type golf club head which solves the foregoing problems associated with the prior art heads, and also provides a further advantage thereover of increased efficiency and effective range.